Last Monday, ( April 18, 2011) I attended the funeral service of Virginia Davis in Savannah, GA. Reverend Dr. Warnock delivered a passionate eulogy for Virginia, which ended with a powerful call to action: The best way to honor Virginia's life, he said, is to fight for her son Troy's life.

I am writing to ask you to help fight for Troy's life.

Troy Davis is on death row for the 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, GA. Troy has always maintained his innocence, and there was never any physical evidence linking him to the crime. 7 out of the 9 non-police witnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony. New witnesses have come forth identifying another suspect. Yet, on March 28, the US Supreme Court denied Troy's final appeal, clearing the way for Georgia to set the execution date. Troy's sister, Martina, said her mother "died of a broken heart. I don't think my mother could have taken another execution date."

That execution date could be set any day now. Troy's life will then be in the hands of Georgia's Board of Pardon & Paroles, who has the power to grant Troy clemency.

5. If you have contacts with legal professionals or members of the clergy, forward them the sign-on letters and urge them to sign.

6. If you have contacts in Georgia, urge them to sign the petition or, sign-on letters (if they are legal professionals or members of the clergy.) It is important that the Board know that this issue matter to folks around the country and around the world--but especially that it matters to folks in Georgia.

Troy's case is deeply personal to me. Troy is a friend of mine. I have corresponded with Troy for the last four years, visited him twice in prison, and written about his case. I have gotten to know and become close to his incredible family, and witnessed first-hand their struggle to bring justice to Troy.

But even if Troy was not my friend, even if I did not know the Davis family--Troy's case should still be deeply personal to me, deeply personal to all of us. As Laura Moye (the Amnesty USA death penalty abolition coordinator) and I were gathering petition signatures in Savannah last week among union-member day laborers, a young man called out emotionally, "Troy could be your brother, your son! This could be any of us!"

Put another way (as the T-shirt in support of Troy states) "I am Troy Davis."

I hope you will take the time to learn more about Troy's case. Thank you in advance for doing all you can to prevent Troy's execution. As the young man in the union hall reminded me, Troy is all of us.

The "One Million Tweets for Troy!" effort was launched to raise greater awareness about the fact that Georgia seems ready to execute a man despite serious doubt about whether he is guilty. If you are active on Twitter, click here now.

Troy Anthony Davis, who is on Georgia's death row, could soon face a
fourth execution date. Yet no jury has ever heard the compelling new
evidence that can prove his innocence. We call upon you, our elected
officials, to investigate this case.

Troy Davis has been on death row in Georgia for the past 17 years,
convicted of killing a white police officer, Mark Allen MacPhail in
1989. But no physical evidence linked him to the crime and no murder
weapon was ever found. Troy was convicted on the basis of nine witnesses
who testified against him at his trial. But now seven of these nine have
come forward in sworn affidavits to recant their statements. Many say
they felt pressured and coerced by the police to name Troy.

Shamefully, our court system has never allowed Troy to present this new
evidence to a jury. Troy Davis has faced down three past execution
dates, once coming within two hours of his execution. Any day now the
state of Georgia could be issuing another execution date. We cannot
stand by and see justice trampled.

A man's life hangs in the balance. Civil rights hang in the balance.
Justice hangs in the balance.
President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, District Attorney of
Chatham County Larry Chisolm: You have the power to right this
injustice. We, the signers below, urge you to do so.

Friends we have two new actions
for Troy Anthony Davis one is a Clergy sign on letter and the other is a
Lawyer sign on letter to the Governor of Georgia. There is also a
Professor sign on letter started by Patrick Dyer for College Professors
to sign on I will send in separate email.

If you are affiliated with any religious group please ask Clergy to sign
letter.

Please share this information we want to get as many letters as
possible. We do not know when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals will
rule on the December 9th Oral Argument for Troy so we need to be
prepared in the event of a negative decision. It is my prayer that there
is no decision before January because at least we have the old DA and
his Chief Asst out of office and we can slow things down a little.
I want to thank all of you for your continued support in this fight to
save Troy and support his legal team who have been fighting tirelessly
in their extraordinary work on Troy's behalf.

Please fax Governor Sonny Perdue and say the people do not want
Troy Davis executed please commute the sentence, this is
destroying the confidence of the people in the state lawmakers
present and future and where are concerned about executing
someone who has a strong case of innocence even thought the
courts have refused to hear new evidence contrary to what the
prosecutor is saying and that we will not support a state
government killing in our name any longer.

According to the Georgia Constitution Article V Section II, it
says the governor does have chief executive powers, that the
governor is the conservator of peace throughout the state, so
constitutionally there is nothing preventing the governor to
step in when public opinion says STOP the EXECUTION of TROY
DAVIS. This will not be seen as usurpation of the Parole Board's
constitutional power, they are appointed by the governor.

The
Perdue's attend the
First Baptist Church of
Woodstock, Georgia
where he is a Sunday
School teacher.

We are asking all organizations to do whatever they can and make
contacts with whomever they can to bring more attention to the
injustice of Troy Davis and the courts refusal to do anything
in this case.

The gloves are off people , we are asking any and all
organizations to do whatever they can, demonstrations, rallies,
marches, sit-ins, all out media blitz, we need to condemn the US
Supreme Court and the Georgia Supreme Court. We want to go back
to faxes letters to the US Attorney's office and ask them to
investigate Spencer Lawton the prosecutor in Chatham County.

Ask them to Investigate prosecutorial misconduct of
Spencer Lawton in Chatham County in the Troy Davis death penalty
case. Spencer Lawton's record is riddled with prosecutorial
misconduct and 4 exonerations, 2 death penalty exonerations. Ask
them to open the case of Troy Davis.

1. The United States Attorney's Office

2. Contact the
White House Presidential Pardon and ask they look into the case,
demand the Parole Board Reconsider Clemency. We understand this
is a state case but a federal law is what has hindered the new
evidence from being heard. Anti-terrorism and Effective Death
Penalty Act signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996.

The
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

TTY/TDD

Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

E-Mail

Please send your comments to
comments@whitehouse.gov.
Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House
cannot respond to every message. For further up-to-date
information on Presidential initiatives, current events, and
topics of interest to you, please continue to use the White
House website.

Note: Please submit messages in text format only. This inbox is
unable to receive e-mails that contain graphics or attachments.
After it arrives, you will receive an e-mail confirmation
indicating successful delivery.

Amnesty Actions

An execution warrant has now been issued
for Troy Davis - commencing on October 27. The exact
date of his execution will be set shortly, but will likely the
27th (the warrant lasts for one week, and the date is generally
set for the first day of the warrant period).

For those who didn't receive it, please
see below for the email that went out to thousands of on-line
activists yesterday regarding the recent updates on the Troy
Davis case. Feel free to forward to your networks. There are
currently 4 actions that people can take - 3 you see in the
email below, plus a Global Day of Action on October 23rd.

Write the Georgia
Board of Pardon and Paroles and ask them to reconsider
their decision and grant clemency (the on-line action is
still up on the website).

Help spread the word
on Troy's case by forwarding this information to
friends, family and fellow activists, as well as by text
messagingTROY to 90999.

Write a letter to
the editor. A one page guide is attached, as well as
linked to in the email below.

Participate in the Global Day of Action for Troy Davis on October 23.
There will be a large rally at the state capitol in
Atlanta, GA on this day, and we are encouraging supporters
around the world to hold rallies, vigils or actions on this
day in solidarity. A one page guide is attached, and more
information will be up on the website shortly. Some groups
are already planning events for days other than the 23rd,
and that is just fine. Whatever people can do, whenever
they can do it, is greatly encouraged.

IMPORTANT: Please be sure to keep me
informed of anything being planed:
jcohn@aiusa.org.

Here is a message my brother
Troy mailed to me on September 22, 2008 the night before his
scheduled execution in Georgia, it was for all the people who believe in
Justice and in him, so I hope you get a small glimpse of what Troy's
spirit is really like.

Martina

To all

This is a message from Troy Anthony Davis

I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human
Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such
emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of
you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled
by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her
health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down
from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am
innocent of this terrible crime.

As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never
ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and
expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first
hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming,
overflowing Joy. I can't even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel
when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my
faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death
penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about
Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.

I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see
you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your
letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you
physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.

So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only
destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and
all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what
happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death
penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect
the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis'.
This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but
through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in
captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city
by city, state by state and country by country.

I can't wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or
spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,
" I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!

Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!

Call to Action

One thing we need to keep is the Media in this story so please to
everyone please post comments to CNN.com, CBS.com and make comments on
the Troy Davis stories and email other national, state and local media
where you live and tell them we want to know more about the Troy Anthony
Davis case. One element I have noticed missing in all the , media
outlets is that no one mentions that the Anti-terrorism and Effective
Death Penalty Act is involved, and that is why Troy's case has got to
this point. So we want to encourage the media to talk about law and how
it does not protect the innocent by limiting the appeals process. If the
media knows we want to know more they will do more stories on this case.
So get you emails going to all national media. Continue to write op-eds,
this is a case of innocence not just the death penalty, eyewitness
identification, witness recantation and procedures of law.

There are four executions scheduled this week and 22 by the end of the year. See
a complete list at www.NCADP.org, or receive a weekly update via
e-mail by joining the For Whom the Bells Toll Campaign e-mail update list by clicking here.

NCADP is updating you about the Troy Davis case because it is so high profile
and so compelling. We also want you to know that Jack Alderman, who was
scheduled to be killed in Georgia later today, received a stay of execution so
that he would have an opportunity to make a case for mercy to the Parole Board.
Since then, the Parole Board scheduled a clemency hearing for this morning
(Tuesday) at 9am. It is quite possible that this execution will take place.

We are aware of two entities that can prevent the execution of Troy Davis:
the US Supreme Court and the Parole Board. While the Board did deny clemency on
Friday, they have unfettered discretion all the way up to the final hour and can
still weigh in.

These odds are tough, but they are not mathematically impossible. Therefore, we
will direct our fight where we have any chance! And we must not let off the
attention and activism. There are some media strategies we are working on to
influence the Supreme Court. As for the Parole Board, we want to appeal to them
again - but we encourage you not to antagonize the board as this is not likely
to persuade them to change their decision! The board members each voted Friday
in secrecy, so we do not know what the vote count was, but if it was not
unanimous, then changing even one person's mind may be what is needed.

**please send another letter to the board**

You can use the new model at AI's page - copy/paste or you can send the letter
directly from the AI page with a few clicks:

The Georgia Supreme Court subsequently agreed to hear the death row
prisoner's extraordinary motion for a new trial, but in March the Court rejected
the motion largely on procedural grounds in a 4-3 vote.

Troubled by this result, Chief Justice Sears stated in her dissent:

"[...] I believe that this case illustrates that this Court's approach in
extraordinary motions for new trials based on new evidence is overly rigid and
fails to allow an adequate inquiry into the fundamental question, which is
whether or not an innocent person might have been convicted or even, as in this
case, might be put to death."

Together, weÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ll send a strong message to the Georgia
authorities that when it comes to the death penalty,
fairness matters.

In solidarity,

Larry Cox
Executive Director

* * * ACLU "Tuesday's for Troy" ACTION ALERT * * *

Please join the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia,
as we continue to call for justice in the Troy Anthony Davis
case. Every Tuesday, the ACLU will join Georgians For
Alternatives to the Death Penalty (GFADP), Amnesty
International and other social justice organizations in
public, peaceful demonstrations across Atlanta to bring
awareness to the Troy Anthony Davis case, and to collect
petition signatures.

THE LATEST ON TROY:

With the Georgia Supreme Court's denial of Troy's appeal for
a new trial nearly six weeks ago (3/17), his legal team
submitted a "request for reconsideration" for a new trial.
We just received word last week that the Georgia Supreme
court has once again voted against a new trial (4 to 3
decision). Our main target of action now is the Georgia
Pardons and Parole Board. The Board has executive clemency
power (not the Governor, who appoints them). The board can
stop an execution and commute a death sentence. A few legal
avenues remain, but the board appears to be our strongest
chance. They can commute the sentence to life (with
possibility of parole) or life without parole.

ACTION REQUESTED:

1) Come to weekly "Tuesdays for Troy" demonstrations
4:30pm-6:00pm (Atlanta)
Every Tuesday, we will organize a street demonstration with
signs for motorists and pedestrians to see around rush hour.
We will pass out fact sheets with information about the case
and circulate petitions. We will announce where each week's
demo will take place.

* Demonstration signs and posters will be provided.

2) Sign the Troy Davis petition or model letter to the
Georgia Pardons and Parole Board
Both documents also available at
http://www.amnestyusa.org/troydavis

3) Mobilize people for the big demonstration/rally
We are planning a big demonstration and rally at the State
Capitol (in Atlanta), calendared for Saturday, May 17th. We
need a mass mobilization of people from Georgia and beyond!

As always, thank you for your support and please call me
directly with questions.

"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has
always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty
is a history of resistance". Woodrow Wilson

If you live in Georgia, we especially
encourage you to get connected to the anti-death penalty
coalition Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (GFADP).
To join their email alert and update list, which includes
information about the Troy Davis campaign, please email
gfadp@yahoo.com or call 404-876-5661 ext. 12.

Activity to educate and take action
against the larger broken death penalty system, that Troy
Davis's case illustrates so well, is happening across the state
and we need more people to get involved so that there are no
more horrible cases like Troy Davis's!

Regardless of where you live, we encourage you to get involved
in anti-death penalty advocacy groups like
Amnesty International,
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP)
, and so forth. 124 people have been exonerated from the
nation's death rows in the last 3 decades. Some have been
wrongfully executed, like Ruben Cantu and Larry Sullivan. We
cannot allow Troy or anyone else to suffer such a fate!